


Beyond Her Reach

by vyta



Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Just for Fun., Lesbian Eloise Bridgerton, Regency, Regency Romance, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Will this turn into smut halfway through? yeah probably, light on fluff and maybe just maybe if we all get lucky this will be heavy on smut, light on fluff heavy on angst, regency lesbians, sexual tension out the goddamn wazoo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:55:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29910387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vyta/pseuds/vyta
Summary: After two seasons of successfully escaping engagement, Eloise Bridgerton is confident she can make it through a third without too much of a fuss, and more certain than ever that she does not want a husband.But when she meets a mysterious older woman on the first night of the season, Eloise will be forced to stop focusing on what she doesn't want if she is to have any chance of figuring out what she truly needs.-Like the sweet apple which reddens upon the topmost bough,Atop on the topmost twig, — which the pluckers forgot, somehow, —Forget it not, nay; but got it not, for none could get it till now.- Sappho of Lesbos
Relationships: Eloise Bridgerton/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 21





	1. The Lady in Red

Eloise's attempts to spend the party undetected really had been working quite well. She had socialized only enough to ensure she had been seen, and since those few dull conversations had been flitting between corners and back walls to ensure any man who wished to dance would have to look past at least three eager young women before they saw her. Eloise had the routine down pat. It was the first party of the season, but with two summers of miserable parties and boorish dances behind her, she had mastered the art of disappearing. Only…what? Another decade before Mama would leave her to her spinsterhood in peace? As far as Eloise was concerned, if she had made it to twenty unmarried and unengaged, she could make it to thirty. She smiled at the prospect.

Unfortunately for Eloise, a gentleman whose face she knew but whose name escaped her had managed to glance over at her corner at that exact moment, and, believing her delighted smile was for him, began to make his way over.

 _Christ_.

There were enough people between them that she managed to slip away before he reached her, and she used the opportunity to step out into the cool air of late spring. Satisfied that the man had not followed her, she found her way into the garden before taking out the cigarette she had smuggled in using a pocket she had haphazardly sewn on the inside of her dress. Considering how dark it was outside, she figured as long as she stayed another half of an hour before leaving, Mama would not accuse her of leaving before any fun could be had. Before she could further ruminate on getting home she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She barely suppressed a groan before turning around to find the same young man she had accidentally smiled at inside. She closed her hand around the rolled tobacco in her hand and smiled unconvincingly.

"Miss Bridgerton, I am quite glad I have found you, I had not realized you stepped outside. I must have looked like a fool searching for you as I did before seeing you through the window."

"I'm sure you did." Eloise said coolly, attempting the fine line between disinterest and disgust.

The young man had the decency to look at least a little embarrassed, Eloise thought, though she would have preferred if he had gone back inside immediately.

He cleared his throat again, apparently only now realizing he did not possess the confidence he thought he did when approaching Eloise.

"Well, Miss Bridgerton, since I have made quite a fool of myself looking for you, might you give me a dance so that I do not leave completely at a loss."

Eloise could feel her polite smile turn into something rather rude, but she truly could not help herself.

"Please forgive me." she said slowly. "I am so terrible with names but you clearly seem to know mine, I am at a disadvantage, Mister…"

Before the young man could open his mouth, a voice behind him interrupted his thought.

"Mr. Barclay?" a woman's voice called out. Eloise looked passed the young man-- Mr. Barclay, she presumed-- to see a woman walking towards them she did not recognize. _Odd_.

Barclay turned around to find the source of the voice. "Yes?" Eloise could tell from the tone of his voice that he did not recognize the woman either.

"I have been told that there is a rather pretty girl with a rather hawkish mother who is hoping to dance with you before she leaves."

The young man raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised. "Do you know whom the young woman was?"

The lady, now directly in front of him, shrugged. "I did not catch her name, she only told me there was a young man with whom she wanted to dance with a man named Barclay who she had seen go outside."

Mr. Barclay nodded, turning back to Eloise. "Miss Bridgerton, I really ought not to keep this poor girl waiting, whomever she is, it'd be a bit rude of me. Might you meet me inside for the dance after next?"

_Thank God._

"I will do my best to find you, Mr. Barclay, though I know my Mama wanted me back soon." Eloise said sweetly, not minding teasing him a bit considering she would be long gone before he began to look for her again.

He nodded at both Eloise and the messenger before walking a bit too eagerly back into the party.

Eloise let out a sigh, the false smile becoming quite genuine as Barclay disappeared. It was only when she had relieved herself of the tension in her body that she felt the forgotten cigarette, having snapped in her tight fist, fall to the ground.

"You ruined your cigarette." The woman, who Eloise had almost forgotten, raised an eyebrow as Eloise quickly bent to scoop up the remnants.

"It is not _mine_." Eloise said quickly. Just because she did not recognize the woman did not mean that the woman did not know her mother, and Eloise had no intention of being scolded for smoking _and_ avoiding a dance.

"Oh." the woman said as if it did not matter to her at all. "A shame. I can never finish a full cigarette by myself, I thought we might share." the woman had produced her own cigarette-- Eloise could not tell from where-- and lit it with a match she quickly tossed to the grass.

Eloise only now truly looked at the woman as she lifted the cigarette to her lips. She was tall, much taller than Eloise, though that was not in and of itself entirely impressive. The light from the party behind her lit her hair, a very dark auburn that Eloise hadn't seen before. It was pinned up completely, a complex braid leading into a bun. Her dress was somehow even more complex than her hair; its dark red fabric, while not entirely fashionable, was made beautiful by the smallest pleats that lifted up her sleeves very slightly, and a gold trim that encircled her hem, waist, and neckline. Eloise was taken aback-- she would have noticed this woman inside, she was dressed just oddly enough to be noticed, and Eloise was certain had she been inside none of the men would have noticed a single other girl inside.

"Have you come from inside?" Eloise finally asked.

The woman nodded as she exhaled.

"I did not see you dancing."

The woman smiled "I was hiding." she said with a triumphant wink. "Besides, I have not been on the market in a long time, I leave the dancing to the poor girls like you who are still waiting for the slaughter."

Eloise smiled in spite of herself. The two women stood in silence, and Eloise suddenly wishing she had practiced small talk. She cleared her throat before speaking again. "I am sorry, I do not believe I know your--"

"Lady Montgomery." the woman said immediately, as if she had been waiting for Eloise to ask. "But you, Miss Bridgerton, may call me Vera."

 _Lady Vera Montgomery_. The name was unfamiliar to Eloise, which perhaps made it, and the woman to whom it referred, all the more fascinating.

"Eloise."

"Mm. Yes, I know."

"Oh."

Eloise frowned, the woman's gaze feeling like that of someone who has spotted a butterfly and has yet to decide whether she likes it enough to add to her collection.

"And you did not come to dance?"

Lady Montgomery smiled. "No, Miss Bridgerton, I did not. Besides, I do not think the ton would find it terribly appropriate for a widow to be dancing around like a schoolgirl."

Eloise was even more confounded by the woman now, she looked far too young to be a widow, and seemed not at all bothered by it. "Then why did you come?"

Lady Montgomery nodded back at the large house out of which they had both come. "I am visiting my brother, and watching the beginnings of a season are much more interesting than hiding away upstairs all evening."

"You're Lord Gershwin's sister?" Eloise asked in surprise.

"Ah. You think you would have heard if the great Lord Gershwin had a sister, no?" the woman laughed. "My brother is fonder of me than he admits, but he is certainly not one to bring up his sister in conversation when he could be speaking of himself."

Eloise laughed in spite of herself; she had only shared one conversation with the woman's brother, and was unsurprised by the assessment.

Lady Montgomery offered Eloise what was left of the cigarette. "I told you, I can never manage to finish one."

Eloise shook her head with a polite smile.

"Oh don't be silly. I won't tell."

Eloise reluctantly took the cigarette with a small smile, Lady Montgomery watching closely as she inhaled.

"How long will you be in London?" Eloise finally asked when it became clear that Lady Montgomery was not bothered enough by the silence to break it.

The woman shrugged casually. "Until I grow bored, I suppose."

"You do not seem like a woman who is bored very easily." Eloise said before she could consider whether or not it was an appropriate comment.

Lady Montgomery flashed a bright smile, which rattled Eloise, who had not considered the question terribly funny.

"Hm. I do not know how to answer that, Miss Bridgerton. I only am bored when life moves on as expected."

"Well, you expected to come to a dull party and you are indeed at a dull party. Are you bored tonight?"

"Not anymore." Lady Montgomery answered smoothly as she looked up at the sky, as if she had forgotten Eloise was there.

Eloise knew herself to be imagining things but the more uncomfortable the silence between them grew, the more certain she was that Lady Montgomery was enjoying herself.

The silence was ended by a great clapping inside the house, and both women turned to look through the windows at the end of a dance.

"I do hope Mr. Barclay found that young woman." Eloise said thoughtfully.

Lady Montgomery nodded. "As do I. Though it would have been rather difficult for him, considering she is entirely fictional."

"You… you made up the girl who wanted to dance with Mr. Barclay? And her mother too?" Eloise looked at her companion in surprise.

Lady Montgomery just nodded, smiling faintly as she continued to watch through the windows.

"Why would you do that? The poor boy is already most certainly beside himself."

The woman shrugged, her eyes finally returning to Eloise. "It seemed like a mutually beneficial thing to do."

"How, exactly did that help Mr. Barclay?"

"Well, Miss Bridgerton, if he had succeeded in getting you to dance, I suspect you would have made every moment of it rather miserable for him. My little lie allowed him to go in and perhaps find a more willing partner, it allowed you to avoid the poor Mr. Barclay's attentions, and it allowed me to find someone to finish my cigarette." She gestured as if it had been obvious. "See? Mutually beneficial."

Eloise nodded. "Yes, I suppose so."

The silence resumed, the gentle wind and faint violins from inside the only sounds that reached the spot where Eloise and Lady Montgomery were standing. Eloise snuck several glances at the woman, who again seemed uninterested in her presence.

"I think you would be much more successful in securing a husband if you looked at some of the young men inside half as much as you are looking at me now." Lady Montgomery said without looking at Eloise, her eyes fixed on a cloud making its way slowly across the sky.

Eloise, embarrassed by the woman's seemingly careless comment, furrowed her brows in rather childish frustration. "I am not in want of a husband, so it matters very little how and if I look at any of tonight's guests at all."

Lady Montgomery smiled as if trying to hold back laughter. "Then I am especially honored that you are looking at me."

Eloise glared at the woman, certain she was being made fun of. "I'm cold." she announced. "Thank you for the company. And the cigarette. I think I will take my leave now."

Lady Montgomery finally lowered her gaze down to Eloise, a look of mild surprise tracing her features. "I did not mean to offend you, Miss Bridgerton."

Eloise said nothing, feeling suddenly unable to move now that the woman was looking at her so intensely.

"Truly, Miss Bridgerton, please accept my apologies if I misspoke." Lady Montgomery clasped Eloise's hands, her thumbs tracing over the gloved knuckles underneath. "I truly did not mean to upset you."

Eloise just nodded as politely as possible, gently pulling her hands away as soon as she remembered how to move. "You have caused no offense, Lady Montgomery, truly. The air is growing cold and I am certain Mama will be expecting me home soon." She felt rather silly now having been so sensitive about what she realized in retrospect might have been a harmless, friendly comment.

"Please, Miss Bridgerton, I asked you to call me Vera."

Eloise nodded, walking backwards towards the house. "Only if you call me Eloise, Lady Montgomery."

Vera laughed good-naturedly as Eloise turned to leave the garden. "Goodnight, then, Eloise."

Eloise chose not to respond, walking towards the house with a small smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been floating around in my head for a while, but I don’t have it structured out in too much detail, so I would love your feedback if you’re stopping by. Thank you! x


	2. Looking Up

Eloise did not tell anyone about having met Vera Montgomery at the party. No one else mentioned her after that night, which gave Eloise reason to believe Vera must have snuck down to the party, spoken with Eloise, and snuck back upstairs before being noticed by more than a handful of people. That or she was a ghost of social seasons past come to punish Eloise for her transgressions against the young men of London. Both options were equally probable.

When the next dance of the season arrived, Eloise found herself feeling less dread than usual. If Lady Montgomery was to be there again tonight, the evening might indeed be saved. Violet was very pleased when Eloise did not complain over the braiding of her hair or the fitting of her dress. She did not dare tease Eloise about it, and had happily convinced herself Eloise's improved temperament was due to the excitement of seeing a specific suitor.

In spite of the anticipation, Lady Montgomery was nowhere to be found when Eloise finally arrived. Eloise concealed her own disappointment from herself, realizing the woman had only briefly attended the last one because she had been visiting its host; she had no reason to attend a dance on the other side of town. But in her search for Lady Montgomery, Eloise forgot her strategies for avoiding London's bachelors entirely. Where she would have usually rotated between back corners for at least the first half of the evening, tonight she looked around the building for Vera, forgetting that she too might be watched. Before long, she had begrudgingly promised dances to six of the party's young men just to get them to cease speaking to her long enough for her to continue her search. She realized much too late that there was no way she could step on enough toes to get out of _six_ dances.

Eloise bore her burden well enough… for Eloise at least. She managed to stomach four of the six dances before she was miserable enough to feign dizziness-- the men who had been promised her fifth and sixth dance were crushed when she forbade them from even sitting with her until her head improved. The evening was only halfway over by this point, but Eloise was certain Mama would not scold her too harshly if she told her in detail about having entertained four dance partners. Thus justified, Eloise slipped away without saying goodbyes to find the carriage waiting to bring her home.

"Miss Bridgerton, do not tell me you plan to leave already?"

Eloise recognized Vera Montgomery's cool contralto immediately, turning away from the row of carriages quickly to find its source.

She found it immediately, standing now directly in front of her. Tonight, Lady Montgomery was wearing a similar dress to the one she had worn to the first party of the season, but instead of red fabric accented with gold, she was in a deep blue dress with silver ribbon tracing around her neckline and waist. Her hair was still pulled up, but instead of tight, complex braid work, it was piled loosely on her head with several tendrils falling down towards her collar. Eloise was certain she would have seen Vera immediately had she arrived sooner-- there was not a single girl in attendance who looked quite like that.

"Hello, Lady Montgomery." Eloise said politely.

Vera rolled her eyes but did not insist that she be called by her first name. "Hello, _Eloise_. I have just arrived and I find that you are leaving already, what a terrible shame."

"Oh…well, I was truly just getting some air, Mama would not appreciate me leaving so early." Now that Lady Montgomery had arrived, Eloise decided there was little harm in staying a few moments longer.

"You've had enough of tonight's circus already?" Vera laughed. "I can understand that, I suppose."

Eloise nodded, grateful her dances would not be the subject of interrogation, at least by Lady Montgomery. "The last time I saw you, you only attended because of convenience and boredom. Why come tonight?"

Vera looked at her thoughtfully before responding. "The view, I suppose."

Eloise looked up at the sky and saw nothing of particular interest. When Lady Montgomery caught her she stifled a laugh. "That was not the view to which I was referring. Though I am troubled in that I have never seen a person look up at the night sky which such disinterest as you."

"I am not disinterested," Eloise protested. "I just… do not know exactly what to look for."

"Oh well that is a much more forgivable offense than disinterest, perhaps I can spare your life after all. How lovely for us both." her companion said, looping their arms together and leading Eloise into the grass without asking any further questions.

"Do you always spend parties exclusively in gardens?" Eloise asked as she was led up a small slope on the east side of the house.

"I see no reason why I ought not to, there always seems to be lady in need of saving or cigarettes."

"Do you make a habit of saving ladies in gardens, then?"

"Only recently, and I am not trying to make a habit of it, Miss Bridgerton."

They walked for a while longer in silence, the music from the house fading slowly as they walked further. The grass was spongy enough that Eloise had to focus at least some mental energy on the task of not slipping, peeking down at her feet every few seconds to make sure she was stepping on firm ground. Her companion, on the other hand, walked briskly through the grass without looking down even once.

Vera stopped suddenly in front of Eloise, and the latter doing all she could not to bump into the former while watching her feet.

"Look up, Eloise." Lady Montgomery said quietly, and Eloise lifted her gaze to look at the woman in front of her, who was in turn looking back at her intently.

"I meant at the sky, Miss Bridgerton"

Eloise flushed, raising her eyes to the sky, feeling Vera's eyes stay on her as she did.

"Alright then, Lady Montgomery--"

"Vera."

"Alright then, _Vera_ , what am I to be looking for, exactly?"

"You're not meant to be looking _for_ anything, Eloise, just _looking_."

Eloise let her eyes wander around the sky, from star to star. She recognized several of the constellations, slowly rotating herself to consume the totality of the sky.

"Well?"

"I don't understand. I have seen these constellations before, they look the same as always." Eloise snuck a glance at the woman beside her, who was frowning as if she had been terribly let down.

Eloise was uncertain about Very Montgomery, the woman's demeanor simultaneously exciting and disquieting-- almost uncomfortable. But despite that uncertainty, Eloise knew she could not bear it if Vera thought her uninteresting or foolish.

"Can you help me understand?" Eloise asked quietly, her eyes returning to watch Vera, who had returned to smiling absently at the sky.

"I can try." Vera sighed eventually, as if she had been tasked with taming a particularly impossible dog.

"You do not _have_ to." Eloise said, taking offense at her tone. "I am only attempting to understand what fascinates you enough to keep you outside in the cold all evening."

"Do not be silly, Miss Bridgerton." Vera chided as she pointed above them. "Do you see that one right there, quite bright and rather yellow?"

Eloise looked around desperately, unable to locate to what the woman was pointing.

Upon realizing Eloise could not very well find the object to which she pointed, Vera did not again tease her. Instead, she silently moved behind her and took Eloise's gloved hand in hers, pressing down on the younger woman's fingers until only Eloise's index finger was held straight, again finding the bright object in the sky and pointing to it using Eloise's hand, held firmly in her own

"I see it!" exclaimed Eloise, excitedly, though she was more glad of Lady Montgomery not thinking her a complete fool than of finding the bright point in the sky. "Does that star have a name?"

Vera laughed softly, dropping Eloise's hand gently. "No, Miss Bridgerton--"

"Eloise."

"No, _Eloise_. That is no star at all; it's Venus." Vera smiled triumphantly, as if she herself had crafted the little yellow gem Eloise had finally found in the sky.

"The planet?"

"Yes, of course the planet, silly girl. It's much smaller than a star, but it is quite close to us now, and it is reflective enough that she always seems to steal my attention when I'm looking up."

Eloise nodded, hoping that if she stared long enough she might see more than just a yellow dot in the sky, squinting at the sky above her.

The pair stood silent in the light of the night sky, the quiet between them less uncomfortable than the first time they'd met, Eloise realized. Lady Montgomery was still standing directly behind her, and it was only when she felt a warm breath on her neck that Eloise realized Vera had lowered her gaze from the sky to the woman in front of her.

Eloise turned to see the woman looking at her intently, not breaking the silence when Eloise faced her.

"You seem uncomfortable with quiet, Miss Bridgerton." the woman said after a while of watching Eloise fidget in an attempt to keep her gaze.

"I am not _uncomfortable_ with quiet, _Lady Montgomery_ ," Eloise responded, emphasizing the woman's formal name since she had insisted on using Eloise's.

"Oh no?" Vera clearly didn't believe her, the teasing half-smile on her lips daring Eloise to prove her wrong.

Eloise shook her head. "I just find that silence is always a prelude to something boring, unless I have found myself alone with a book, I suppose."

Vera raised her brows at Eloise before returning her eyes to the sky. "Funny. I always find the most interesting things happen when you let silence run its course."

"Maybe you are just interested by boring things then." Eloise said. She found that whenever Vera spoke, she was flattered that the beautiful woman found her interesting enough to engage with, and yet she could never shake the feeling that she was being made fun of. It seemed only fair to make fun back, but her barbs did not seem to carry the weight Vera's did.

"Are you bored now, Miss Bridgerton?" Vera asked seriously. "Ought I let you return to the party? It is early enough in the evening that I suspect you have some heartbroken suitors looking for you."

"I am not bored!" Eloise said truthfully. "Certainly not enough to return to the party for entertainment."

Lady Montgomery smiled at her mischievously. "So you do _not_ want me to alert the young men in the party to your presence here, then?" she asked, turning to walk back down to the house before she received an answer.

Eloise walked after her, walking as fast as she could to keep up with Lady Montgomery. "Do you not believe me? I am perfectly content out of doors, Lady Montgomery, there is no need for you to do any such thing!" she said pleadingly, several steps behind Vera.

Vera only laughed, turning back at Eloise with the funniest look her eye before increasing her pace enough that Eloise would have had to full-out run to catch up.

"You're bluffing!" Eloise meant it as more of a request for mercy rather than an accusation, but Vera ignored her regardless, slowing down only when she reached the cobbled path, fixing her hair, which had become very slightly undone, before winking at Eloise and disappearing into the house.

Eloise approached the door slowly a few moments later, flattening her own hair before peeking inside. Lady Montgomery had disappeared, seemingly into thin air. How could the tall, beautiful woman with the dark blue dress disappear into a sea of pastel pansies? She waded through the crowd of people, making sure to stay out of the middle of each room as she stood on her tip-toes to spy Lady Montgomery over the heads bobbing throughout the house. _Nothing._

Eventually, Eloise gave up, the risk of being asked to dance again higher than the chance of catching Lady Montgomery, who had perhaps already slipped away for the evening, her threat meant as a joke to get Eloise back instide. But as she again made her way to leave the party, she swore she caught a glimpse of a tall woman with dark auburn hair. Eloise turned to catch her, only to stand face-to-face with one of the two men she had eluded earlier in the evening with excuses of dizziness.

 _Oh no_.

"Miss Bridgerton!" he said, his eyes bright. "I had the fortune of running into Lady Montgomery, who said you were feeling quite better now and looking for a dance partner."

"Did she?" was all Eloise could muster, flummoxed and confused as to how Vera had found out about the young man's interest.

The man nodded, flushed with eagerness. "I had the next dance promised to someone else, but Lady Montgomery said you had been trying to find me for several dances now, and I could not very well end the night without dancing with you, especially if you're in better spirits now."

Eloise was opening her mouth with an excuse ready when she felt a hand press firmly against the small of her back.

"Mr. Walker! Miss Bridgerton! I am so glad you two found each other." It was Vera Montgomery, of course, having appeared out of thin air apparently for the sole purpose of enjoying Eloise's discomfort.

The young man smiled brightly at Lady Montgomery, who smiled back at him just as brilliantly. "Eloise had been telling me how sorry she was to have missed dancing with you, I am so glad she did not let her nerves get the better of her."

Eloise could feel herself turn red as Mr. Walker's grin grew only larger.

"I do not believe I phrased it quite like that." she eventually managed to say, unable to look up at Vera, whose silent laughter she could practically feel through the hand still pressing against her back.

"Well regardless, it is good to see something good come of such a beautiful night. Do not let me interrupt, please, enjoy your dances."

"Dances?" Mr. Walker looked at Eloise in surprise. "You have promised no one else the rest of the dances tonight?"

Before Eloise could respond, Vera cut in. "Oh how wonderful, the pair of you have at least three more before the party ends, I believe."

Eloise groaned audibly, but Mr. Walker was oblivious, already leading her back towards the music.

During the first two dances, the young man tried to engage Eloise in light conversation, but Eloise decided that she had no obligation to both dance _and_ chat with Mr. Walker, so she answered in single-word replies until he was content to dance with her without words.

Eloise expected the elusive Lady Montgomery to have left after setting her cruel joke put in motion, but during her third ( _third!!_ ) dance with Mr. Walker, she spied Vera standing in Eloise's favorite corner, watching the pair intently without a smile. The dance was too fast to make eye contact with her tormentor, but on one of the slower turns Eloise made sure to make a face in Lady Montgomery's direction. The dance sped up again and Eloise was thus unable to see the woman's response, but she was certain she heard the little bells of her laughter all the way across the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think if you have a moment! :) x  
> I think I should probably note now that this is not going to be an *unproblematic* story, so if that's not your thing feel free to check out my other (v wholesome) Eloise fic!


	3. Apples & Oranges

While Vera Montgomery had been able to escape notice at first party, enough people had seen her at the second to make her arrival in London a popular topic of conversation the following week. The Bridgerton home seemed to find an increase in callers visiting Violet for the sole purpose of trading information on the Lady Montgomery, small congregations of London's elite women gathering in the sitting room to whisper about the newcomer.

Eloise did her best to listen from outside the doorway, but the women's voices were always too soft to allow Eloise any insight. After several days of failed eavesdropping, Eloise gave up the pursuit, leaving her post by the door to return to the kitchen.

"Eloise!" her mother's voice interrupted the quiet murmurs in the room. "Eloise is that you?"

Eloise usually would have been horrified at the thought of her mother dragging her into a conversation with her friends, but having guessed what they were discussing, Eloise was willing to suffer through a boring conversation if she might discover more about Lady Montgomery.

"Yes, Mama?" Eloise popped her head into the doorway, making no attempt to be subtle about her interest.

"Eloise, you were at the ball last week."

Eloise nodded.

"I do not suppose you saw Lady Montgomery?"

Eloise remained the doorway, realizing that while she wanted information on Vera, she was reluctant to give any away to Mama and their friends. She shrugged. "I do not know any Montgomerys, Mama. I would not know if I had met this Lady Montgomery."

One of Mama's friends--Anne? Anna maybe?-- took the opportunity to usher Eloise further into the room. "She's quite tall isn't that right, Violet? Rather unbecomingly so for a lady, and if I recall she has rather dark hair."

Eloise gave the gaggle of women a blank look, which took a bit of effort considering she would have rather glared at the woman who described Vera so poorly. "I did not see a woman like that dancing, or if I did I do not remember it."

"Well she wouldn't have been dancing, she's a widow now." Another woman--Maria? Mary? Eloise made a note to start learning Mama's friend's names-- said thoughtfully. "But I know not else what she would be doing there. My only guess would have been socializing, but by all accounts she has not spoken to anyone save her brother since she arrived."

Violet nodded, and Eloise took the quiet in the room as an opportunity to sit down in the circle of women.

"Why is she of such interest?" Eloise asked carefully, doing her best to copy the delicate posture of the women in the circle as if to blend into the cohort.

Violet looked up in surprise, as if she had not realized Eloise did not have access to the information shared between her and the other elite women of London. "Well she has not been seen in London since-- well my goodness, Anne, how long has it been?"

"Oh it must be close to ten years now, no?"

Lady Bridgerton nodded in agreement. "The last time I saw her she was your age, Eloise, perhaps a year or two younger."

"She lived in London then?" Eloise asked.

Violet nodded. "Oh yes! She was a Gershwin back then, but Lady Montgomery grew up here in London."

"Did she leave when she married?"

Violet shook her head. "No, that's the question of the whole thing, isn't it? Vera Gershwin disappeared from London before her first season had ended. The only time we heard from her after was in the paper, when her brother announced she had been married to a Montgomery."

"Does anyone know why she left or where she went?" Eloise asked, having completely abandoned her attempts to seem disinterested.

Another of Violet's guests shook her head. "We all assumed she came to be with child and her brother hid her away outside of London until she gave birth. But she never returned and we have heard of no child since."

The women sat in silence after this, mulling over their theories, until Eloise grew bored enough to retreat from the room.

"Eloise." Violet grasped her daughter's hand before she had risen from her seat. "If she attends any more balls you must tell me everything, alright?

Eloise nodded, unused to her mother being quite such a passionate gossip. If even Violet Bridgerton was so desperate for information, the rest of London must be frothing at the mouth for it.

If Penelope had been in London and not away with Colin, she would have begged Eloise for information, she was sure. Eloise was almost glad she was away, she would have had to tell Penelope, and yet she was sure it would have felt like a betrayal of Vera somehow. Eloise extended her walk, the gusty air of early summer much more pleasant than the staleness of indoors. She found herself at a small street market, the smell of still-fresh fruit and blooming flowers masking the more unpleasant odors from the London street. She allowed her mind to wander as she examined the fruit, imagining what the young Vera Gershwin had done to get herself expelled from London society. If Eloise had managed to not be exiled despite her own rather bad behavior, she could not imagine what Vera had done. Or perhaps she had left voluntarily-- her disappearance the result of months of begging her brother to allow her to leave. But Eloise, try as she might, could not imagine even a young version of Lady Montgomery _begging_. Eloise thought such a thing was quite beyond Vera's abilities.

Eloise imagined what Vera's reaction might be if Eloise were to simply ask her why she had left. Perhaps she would think the city's gossipers amusing, and explain to Eloise what led to her disappearance. But Eloise was not sure if she wanted to inquire after the woman's past at all, she was already quietly worried that the city's bubbling rumors would drive the woman away, and Eloise would be left to attend dance after dance with no hope for reprieve. Though, she realized, there was no reason for Lady Montgomery to come to the balls at all. The first one was hosted at her brother's home, which explained her presence there, but Eloise had never asked the woman why or how she came to be at the ball last week. Perhaps she simply enjoyed being amongst people, though Eloise had not caught her talking to anyone save her and Mr. Walker that night. Eloise was deep in thought when she was interrupted by the merchant whose apples she had been staring at for a good five minutes.

"Can I help you, miss?" his voice snapped Eloise out of her thought, but before she could respond, she realized the man was speaking not to her, but a customer behind her.

"I'm just admiring for now, I'll let you know if I need anything, thank you." the familiar voice pierced through the sounds of the bustle around the carts, and Eloise had to make a concerted effort not to whip her head around. Instead, she moved slightly to the side, so that Lady Montgomery had room to stand beside her at the cart. Eloise made a show of being deeply in thought over the man's selection of fruits.

"Miss Bridgerton." Vera said in greeting, turning her head slightly to appraise Eloise.

"Lady Montgomery." Eloise said in response without turning.

"How pleasant it is to see you in a setting where you do not look like a lamb ready for the slaughter." Lady Montgomery said, Eloise noting that she seemed to be in rather good spirits.

"I'm surprised to hear you say that, considering you enjoyed playing butcher so very well last week.” Eloise said wryly.

"Oh Miss Bridgerton, do not tell me you are holding a grudge over the matter of a silly dance--

"It was _three_ dances."

"-- _Three_ silly dances with Mr. George Walker?"

“Yes, I am still holding a grudge.” Eloise said, only half serious, but more than willing to play up her annoyance to get a reaction out of Lady Montgomery.

Vera sighed, as if thinking over Eloise's complaint, tracing her fingers over a pile of apples on the cart in front of them. Eloise scowled. Vera’s weapon of choice was silence, Eloise had come to realize. The woman very clearly knew how unnerving she was and was all too willing to weaponize the discomfort of her silence when it suited her. Why bother responding when she had the power to make Eloise so horribly uncomfortable? Eloise tried to match her silence for a few beats, but it was clear that while Vera Montgomery's silence was simultaneously intoxicating and unbearable, Eloise's attempts just resulted in making her more fidgety than usual.

Unwilling to admit defeat, Eloise broke the silence. "I have been hearing very much about you over these past few days, Lady Montgomery."

Eloise could have sworn the temperature dropped ten degrees right then; even without looking over at Vera she could tell the woman was smiling in that terrifying, cold way that left the hair on Eloise's skin raised.

"Oh Miss Bridgerton, I am certain you have." Vera turned to face Eloise, leaning her hip on the side of the cart and crossing her arms, her face almost entirely devoid of warmth now. "Now let me ask you, are the little gossips of London just so many in number that you could not help but to overhear? Or was it you, little bird, flitting from person to person in an attempt to uncover my secrets, hm?" Vera spoke these words low enough that they were almost hard to catch. While the man selling fruits had gone off to talk to another merchant for the moment, Vera seemed to wish to be certain that Eloise was the only one who could hear.

Eloise's mouth went dry, and she continued to stare in front of her rather than look at Vera, who she could feel studying her profile in what Eloise was certain was either amusement or anger. Eloise finally shook her head, suddenly embarrassed she had said anything at all.

"This is why you will not look at me, why you insist on feign such interest in the merchants even we talk. You give credence to the rumors you have heard and wish not to let people see us speaking until you know their veracity, yes?"

Eloise shook her head again, feeling rather ill from the intensity of Vera's gaze and the enjoyment she seemed to be deriving from catching Eloise in an uncomfortable conversation. Eloise picked up an orange as to have something to do with her hands, running her fingers over the rind until she willed herself to speak. "I only meant to say that I had heard of you since the last time we spoke… I was trying to make conversation."

"I do not recall you as such a truly terrible conversationalist, Eloise, though perhaps my memory is failing me." Vera sighed, her coldness morphing into the pitying disinterest that Eloise disliked even more.

Eloise stood silently trying to will the correct response to come to her. And yet all she could think of was the stray cat she had seen that morning, who had continued to play with the mouse it intended on for breakfast long after it had been caught. Was Vera the cat, who knew long before the mouse that there was no escape and let it believe there was a still way out for the cruel fun of it? Or perhaps Eloise was wrong in her assumption that Vera enjoyed the discomfort of others--of Eloise.

"I am sorry my skills of conversation are disappointing to you, Lady Montgomery." Eloise said bitingly.

Vera grabbed Eloise's arm, turning her suddenly towards her, causing the latter to drop the orange in her hand. There could be no mistake for anyone watching that the two were engaged in a conversation. And indeed, people were watching. Faces Eloise recognized joined ones she did not recognize in glancing over at the pair of women by the fruit cart, pretending to be disinterested as they whispered to their companions.

"There, much better. You have such a wonderfully expressive face, it is not nearly as enjoyable speaking with you when I cannot see it." Vera said, her smile doing nothing to ease Eloise's nerves.

"Oh do not look so miserable to be on the arm of a beautiful woman, Eloise." Vera laughed, guiding her forward into the crowd by her upper arm, as if the pair were good friends out for a walk.

"Please, Lady Montgomery, let go." Eloise murmured to her companion as Vera led them through the crowd of people out into an emptier part of the street.

"Why would I let go, Eloise?" Vera said seriously, inspecting Eloise's face as they walked.

"Please?"

"Why, Eloise, because people can see us?" Lady Montgomery asked, as if getting to the heart of that question had been her mission from the start.

Eloise nodded, and Vera finally let go. "Ah-- then I am right, you are ashamed to be seen walking around London with the newest subject of gossip. And here I thought I had found the only woman in London who did not care what this bloody town thought of her."

This comment stung more than those previous, despite the fact that Eloise thought Lady Montgomery was being unreasonable on the subject, she was mortified of the woman's assessment of her.

"I am not ashamed to be seen with you because of the gossip! I just know that the moment word gets around that you were seen speaking with me that I will face a number of inquiries that I do not care to answer!" Eloise had to focus on not shouting every word; while they had walked away from the throng of people at the carts, yelling would still make a scene.

Eloise did not know what she expected Vera to do at this outburst, but she certainly did not expect the look of contemptuous pity that now lined the woman's smile.

"I am sorry to hear that, Miss Bridgerton." Vera said finally. "Well, disappointed is the better word, I suppose."

Eloise glared at Lady Montgomery, focused on keeping her face a picture of anger to hide the hurt caused by the woman's disapproval.

 _I do not care what she thinks of me_. Eloise repeated this over and over in her head to no avail.

Vera sighed. "I thought we were quite alike, you and I. But something as trivial as the pestering questions of London's elite could not keep me as tied up as they have made you."

Eloise could not remember having _ever_ being accused of caring too much what other people thought, it was always the opposite. This was proof enough to her that Lady Vera Montgomery was quite wrong. And Eloise cared much more about being right than Vera's opinion of her.

_Right?_

"You purposefully misunderstand me so that you can excuse yourself for speaking to me so unkindly." Eloise said finally. "So perhaps I am quite glad that we are not as alike as you thought, Lady Montgomery."

Vera, who usually made her expressions so easy to read, had become stony-faced. "Well then, Miss Bridgerton, I suppose I should take my leave so that you might avoid not only the gossip that paralyzes you so deeply, but also the danger of picking up any of my more despicable qualities. I would not want people to talk about my poisoning London's impressionable and innocent youth."

Vera said this with no emotion in her voice at all, no cruel amusement nor quiet disgust, and before Eloise could respond, the woman had turned on her heel and begun walking down the street without a glance back at the girl in the middle of the road watching her retreat.

By the time Eloise returned home, the house was empty of visitors, as she went directly to her rooms to undress and crawl into bed, ignoring that it was so early dinner had not yet been served. She felt like simultaneously breaking every bit of china in the house and crying in self-pity in bed until she finally found sleep. Regardless of their last conversation, Vera had been the only decent part of the season thus far, and Eloise felt genuine grief at the loss of the friend. With Penelope married and less willing to go to parties just to relieve Eloise (particularly after two seasons of doing just that) even when she was in town, the loss of Vera's company meant that the season would prove to be the most intolerable yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! The next chapter is already written-- I only meant to write one chapter but it ended up being about 7k words, which felt too long, and if I'm honest I was scared no one would read it.  
> So… Chapter 4 will be up on Sunday (around 4k words!), and not to brag but I low-key *crushed* it.  
> As always, I would love feedback. This is my second fic (ever lol) and I've never written an OC before. I'm really enjoying it and would love your thoughts on the Lady Montgomery! Thanks!


End file.
